The Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) has reported that an outbreak of Newcastle disease (ND) caused by virulent avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1) was reported in commercial poultry at a premises in Klepp in Norway. The premises had 7,500 laying hens present, and disease was detected following a decrease in egg production with low mortality.
Disease control measures involving movement control, zoning, and disinfection have been applied, with surveillance to be implemented.
This is the first outbreak of ND reported in domestic poultry in Norway since 2003. In August 2022, APMV-1) was detected in samples from dead city pigeons in Oslo.
In 2022, there have been a total of seven outbreaks of ND reported by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) across Europe prior to the recently reported outbreak in Norway, six of which were on commercial farms.
According to APHA, Newcastle disease is a serious, notifiable disease of poultry which can cause large losses in unvaccinated domestic poultry, particularly chickens. It is considered endemic in many countries in Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and is occasionally reported in Europe most often in backyard flocks.